Translations of Tibetan Buddhist Texts
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Latest major translation
8 October 2021
| Karchak
by Getse Mahāpaṇḍita Gyurme Tsewang Chokdrup
Getse Mahāpaṇḍita (1761–1829) wrote this catalogue to the collected writings of Jigme Lingpa on the occasion of their publication in Derge in or after 1802. He begins with a biography of Jigme Lingpa, then identifies the patrons of the printing, the King and Queen of Derge, and the one who requested the publication, Dodrupchen Jigme Trinle Özer. This is followed by the actual catalogue, which lists all Jigme Lingpa’s writings except those of the Longchen Nyingtik revelation, for which there is a separate catalogue by Jigme Losal Özer.
Latest from the Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö Sungbum Project
October 2021
The Lightning Band of Faith: A Song to Invoke the Master’s Wisdom Mind | Songs & Poems
by Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö
This song calling upon Guru Padmasambhava to come to the aid of Tibetans was written during the Fire Dog year (1946). Read text >
Ḍākinī’s Delight: A Feast Song | Tsok
by Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö
One of several short songs for the gaṇacakra feast that Jamyang Khyentse composed, this one invokes Guru Padmasambhava and Yeshe Tsogyal. Read text >
Song of Prayer to Milarepa | Prayers
by Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö
Jamyang Khyentse says that he composed this song of invocation and prayer out of sadness. In it, he calls upon the great yogin Milarepa (1040–1123) to help him overcome his failings and turn his mind towards the Dharma. Read text >
Other recent additions
October 2021
The Brilliant Essence: The Ritual Manual for the Secret Embodiment of the Guru (Lama Sangdü) | Sādhanas
by Minling Terchen Gyurme Dorje
Terdak Lingpa compiled this ritual manual (las byang) for the Secret Embodiment of the Guru (bla ma gsang 'dus) revelation of Guru Chökyi Wangchuk (1212–1270) in order to facilitate the elaborate offering practices performed on the tenth day of the lunar month at Mindrolling Monastery. Read text >
The Melody of Complete Accomplishment: A Prayer to Those Praised as Ornaments of the Practice Lineage | Prayers
by Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo
Jamyang Khyentse says that he wrote this four-verse prayer to the founders of the practice lineage, i.e., Marpa Lotsāwa, Milarepa and Gampopa, in the first month of the Wood Ox year (1865) following a dream. Read text >
The Recitation for the Gradual Path of the Preliminaries from The Exceedingly Secret, Enlightened Heart-Essence of the Ḍākinī | Ngöndro
by Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje
This liturgy for the preliminary practices, or ngöndro (sngon 'gro), of Do Khyentse's terma revelation Yangsang Khandrö Tuktik, 'The Exceedingly Secret, Enlightened Heart-Essence of the Ḍākinī', includes the common, outer practices of contemplation and the main, inner preliminaries of taking refuge, generating bodhicitta, offering the maṇḍala, purifying obscurations through Vajrasattva, and guru yoga. Read text >
Music to Adorn the Illusory Display: A Concise Explanation of the Nature of the Feast Offering | Tsok
by Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Thayé
This description of gaṇacakra, preserved in The Treasury of Extensive Teachings (rgya chen bka’ mdzod), presents a clear Nyingma perspective on the practice of gaṇacakra. The text does not refer to any particular sādhana but offers a generic explanation that is remarkable for its clarity and detail. Read text >
Heart Treasure for the Warriors Who Long for Liberation | Advice
by Atiśa Dīpaṃkara
Atiśa Dīpaṃkara Śrījñāna imparted this advice to his disciples at the request of Lha Changchub Ö as he was preparing to return to India. In it, he offers basic guidance on how to lead a spiritual life, escape "the swamp of saṃsāra" and reach "the dry shores of liberation." Read text >
Latest from the Longchen Nyingtik Project
September 2021
Shower of Indestructible Splendour: A Self-Initiation for the Guru Practice of the Vidyādhara Assembly, from the Heart-Essence of the Vast Expanse | Empowerment
by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche wrote this self-initiation (bdag 'jug) for the Vidyādhara Assembly (Rigdzin Düpa) when he presided over a group practice (tshogs sgrub) in Bhutan and the need for such a text became clear. The practice of self-initiation, he says, "restores the power of the four empowerments, heals impairments and breakages of enlightened body, speech and mind, and offers a training in maturing through self-entry to the maṇḍala." Read text >
A Sādhana of Hayagrīva’s Assembly, from the Heart-Essence of the Vast Expanse | Hayagrīva
by Rigdzin Jigme Lingpa
A sādhana of Hayagrīva, the wrathful form of the Natural Liberation of Suffering (Dukngal Rangdrol) practice of Avalokiteśvara, from the Longchen Nyingtik cycle. Read text >
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Highlights from archive
The Pointing-the-Staff Instruction | Advice
by Nyangral Nyima Özer
One of the better known instructions from the collection known as Responses to Questions, Advice from the Guru's Direct Instructions (bla ma dmar khrid kyi zhal gdams zhus lan skor), which is included in the Precious Treasury of Revelations (rin chen gter mdzod). The text contains simple advice from Guru Padmasambhava for his elderly disciple, Ngok Sherab Gyalpo. Read text >
Advice for Urgyen Tsomo | Advice
by the Fifteenth Karmapa, Khakhyab Dorje
Six lines of essential advice from the Fifteenth Karmapa Khakhyab Dorje to his spiritual consort, the celebrated ḍākinī Urgyen Tsomo (o rgyan gtso mo, 1897–1961). Read text >
* Lotsāwa ལོ་ཙཱ་བ་; lo tsā ba n. Title used for native Tibetan translators who worked together with Indian scholars (or paṇḍitas) to translate major buddhist texts into Tibetan from Sanskrit and other Asian languages; it is said to derive from lokacakṣu, literally "eyes of the world". See also paṇḍita.
